27 June 2015

After a morning of
pampering at a coffee spa day morning at Levo spalon, the girls and I headed next door to run a few
errands at South Point. While there we decided to grab a bite from somewhere
different and headed over to a little Japanese place we'd seen hiding in plain
sight on the 2nd floor. It’s definitely an unassuming hole in the
wall, but, like its name claims, it’s authentic from the seating to the food.
There’s not much in the way of ambiance, it actually reminded me of quite a few
hidden Ethiopian gems from Nairobi with its
mounted flat screen showing terrible soap operas.

26 June 2015

It
is a curious fact, and one to which no one knows quite how much importance to
attach, that something like 85% of all known worlds in the Galaxy, be they
primitive or highly advanced, have invented a drink called jynnan tonyx, or
gee-N'N-T'N-ix, or jinond-o-nicks, or any one of a thousand or more variations
on the same phonetic theme. The drinks themselves are not the same, and vary
between the Sivolvian ‘chinanto/mnigs’ which is ordinary water served at
slightly above room temperature, and the Gagrakackan 'tzjin-anthony-ks’ which
kills cows at a hundred paces; and in fact the one common factor between all of
them, beyond the fact that their names sound the same, is that they were all
invented and named before the worlds concerned made contact with any other
worlds. –Douglas Adams, Restaurant at the End of the Universe

24 June 2015

Ending up at Fat Lulu’s for lunch was a fluke; we fully intended
to gorge ourselves at the well-known boulangerie, Di Ghent, only to be reminded
it was closed on Tuesdays. Swallowing our disappointment, we dutifully checked
Zomato to see what other options happened to be in the vicinity and decided to
meet at Fat Lulu’s Crosspoint Mall location instead.

23 June 2015

Deviled eggs are like manna from heaven (or a Lays™ potato
chip); you can’t eat just one. Any good southerner will vouch that these are
the best summer appetizer for any holiday garden party, backyard BBQ, or picnic,
but I maintain that these can and should be made year-round. Thanksgiving
dinner appetizer? Deviled eggs. Need a snack for the office Christmas party?
Deviled eggs to the rescue. Random cricket match viewing party? Deviled eggs
for the win. Birthday parties, funerals, bar mitzvahs, they are eternal.

22 June 2015

According to Delhiites, DLF
Cyberhub is the only reason to venture over to Gurgaon and I am tempted to
agree. Although Gurgaon has its fair share of decent restaurants it cannot
compete with the many options scattered throughout Delhi's trendy neighborhoods.
However, Cyberhub does offer Gurgaonians a place to eat out, take in some
music, and barhop all in one location. While it doesn't have the feel of say a
Khan Market or Hauz Khas, it's not far off from Connaught Place. Cyberhub
embraces their suburbian-ness by marketing its nearly 50 restaurants, fast
food, and lounge options to young professionals, middle-aged businessmen, as
well as families. Furthermore, the open-air amphitheater regularly shows
cricket matches on the big screen, hosts concerts, and offers the opportunity
for wide-scale embarrassment for those gutsy enough to karaoke in front of the
masses.

First up for review is Sutra, a spacious indoor/outdoor bar
on the Cyberhub’s 2nd level pub hub. With unlimited ₹1 drinks every Monday, free
drinks for ladies on Tuesdays, Wednesday Sufi nights, and live bands on
Sundays, there is something going on at Sutra practically every night of the
week. Most recently we visited on a Friday night and were pleasantly surprised
with buy one get one happy hour specials until 8:30pm. Drink choices were
limited, but still offered a wide enough selection to make everyone in our
group happy.

21 June 2015

This is the first summer that has felt like summer to me
since I moved abroad five years ago. Being from Texas I am used to ridiculously
hot temperatures and moving about from one air-conditioned place to another.
However, Kenya was extremely temperate and Nairobi never reached over 30°C (that’s 86°F for you North Americans)
despite the common misconception that its proximity to the equator means the
temperatures are sweltering and desert-like. In short, I got spoiled. This being
my first summer in India, I quickly realized how much I did not miss the
soaring temperatures and highs of 45°C
(113°F) and have thus become
hermit-like, holing up in my air-conditioned abode only to leave for basic
necessities or after nightfall when temperatures drop to a mere 29°C (82°F).

In order to beat the heat, I’ve reverted to ice baths and
summery drinks to stay cool. A summertime staple growing up at my house was
iced tea. I could drink gallons of the stuff. However, I discovered early on
that my mom’s version of iced tea was *very* different from your typical
Southern-style iced tea. It was sugarless. I can hear the screams now. No
sugar!?! That’s sacrilege! My mom was a
bit of a health nut in the ‘80s, before it was the thing to be; our Kool-Aid™ had
about ¼ of the recommended sugar.

20 June 2015

This is the story of my hungry journey, an expat diary of dining and all things foodie. After five years and nearly 80 restaurants reviewed throughout Africa, it's been quite the hungry adventure! But now, after a year in limbo and a lull in posts, African Nights is rebooting itself as a global food and dining blog for the expat set embracing local living. Be it eating out, cooking in, or a night on the town, Diary of a Hungry Expat is here to share our experiences with fellow foodies.

Now based in Gurgaon, a suburb of Delhi, your hungry expat guide will explore a new continent full of new cuisine. Join the adventure as a contributor or leave us a note suggesting somewhere or something new you'd like us to share with our readers.

a little legalese

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